Apparatus for introducing gas into a stream of liquid



Nov. 28, 1961 N. KJSTENBERG APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO A STREAM 0F LIQUID Filed June 3, 1958 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 es l0 l0 [0 IO IO 10 IO l0 FIG. I.

INVENTOR NEJRIKKI K. STENBERG 7 ATTORNEYS Nov. 28, 1961 N. K. STENVBERG 3,010,467

APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO A STREAM 0F LIQUID Filed June 5, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

NYYRlKKl K. STENBERG BY 8 g ATTORNEYS Nov. 28, 1961 APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1958 N. K. STENBERG FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO A STREAM OF LIQUID 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a I44 '40 w 42 nae 4 1 n4 1 1o- I48 154 16 I24 EN "6 I02 62 "a I68 m6 I04 6 I26 i Q 53 36 44 45 2 I20 l8 "2 2o f I4 24 l2 K L 28 Fl G. 3.

INVENTOR.

NYYRIKKI K. STENBERG QO-xu g M V% Z-JT ATTORNEY?! Nov. 28, 1961 N. K. STENBERG 3,010,457

APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO A STREAM OF LIQUID Filed June 3, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I52 :50 |44 I42 68 d 66 7| 1 4 64 19 I48 7e- 42 12 84 a: 86 b 7'4 MK 96 I60 2 98 Q as 54 -92 158 I66 E 6 S's-Q r12 l64 i 40 52 f 9 I :2 v 33/ 36 45 32 IO 20 ,4? 62 26 I4 INVENTOR NYYRIKKI K. STENBERG ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,010,467 APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING GAS INTO A STREAM 0F LIQUID Nyyrikki K. Stenberg, Roslyn, Pa., assignor to Fischer & Porter Company, Hatboro, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 3, 1958, Ser. No. 739,551 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-114) This invention relates to apparatus for introducing a gas into a stream of liquid. It is particularly useful for the introduction of chlorine gas into a stream of water which is to be used, for example, in swimming pools.

The apparatus of this invention is particularly advantageous due to the simplicity of its construction and the simplicity and the efiectiveness of its operation. The apparatus has a marked advantage in that whereas it is capable of being compactly constructed into a single unit it nevertheless prevents back flow of water when the apparatus is shut down. This is a marked advance since it is well known that the back flow of water through apparatus for introducing gas into a stream of liquid will occur unless a sulficient head is maintained between the vacuum producing structure and the remainder of the apparatus.

These and other advantages of the apparatus in accordance with this invention will become obvious from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the broken surface indicated by the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the broken surface indicated by the line 44 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a valve disc shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

As shown in the figures, an apparatus in accordance with this invention has a housing 2 formed by an upper section 4, a middle section 6 and a lower section 8. Lower section 8 has an inlet opening 10 in which there is secured a nipple 12 by means of a split ring 14 held in position by machine screw 16. A valve seat 18 made, for example, from a non-corrosive resin such as a polytnfiuorochloroethylene resin or a polytetrafluoroethylene resin is secured against the inner end of nipple 12 by a cap 20 threadably secured to the nipple 12. A ball valve 22 is adapted to abut against valve seat 18 under the pressure of compression spring 24 contained within bore 26 of nipple 12. Nipple 12 has a threaded end 28 which is adapted to be connected to a chlorine line.

Valve 22 controls the entry of the gas into a gas supply chamber 32 within housing section 8. The upper wall of chamber '32 is formed by a diaphragm 33 having diaphragm ring 34 which is clamped between housing sections 6 andS and a disc 36 to which ring 34 is clamped by a ring member 38 threadably secured to disc 36. The upper side of diaphragm ring 34 and its associated disc 36 and member 38 form the lower wall of a vent chamber 40 which is connected to the atmosphere by a passage 42 in section 6.

Disc 36 has secured thereto a downwardly extending rod 44 which is adapted to extend through opening 46 in cap 20 to engage valve 22 and move it off valve seat 18, this action occurring when chamber 32 is under a vacuum as will be explained in detail at a further point.

Mounted on housing section 8 by a collar 50 and O-n'ngs 52 is a flow-meter 54 comprising a glass tube 56 v 70 of a difierential pressure regulator.

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having a tapered passage 58 containing a float 60. This conventional device is employed to indicate the rate of flow of the gas. A passage 62 connects the tube 56 to gas supply chamber 32. The upper end of tube 56 is connected to casing section 4 by means of a collar 64 and O-rings 66, tube 56 being connected to a passage 68 in casing section 4 which discharges into inlet chamber In addition to inlet chamber 70 the differential pressure regulator comprises a diaphragm 71 having a diaphragm ring 72 which is clamped to disc 74 by threaded member 76, diaphragm ring 72, disc 74 and threaded member 76 forming the bottom wall of chamber 70. Diaphragm ring 72 and disc 74 form the upper wall of a discharge chamber 80 of the pressure regulator. A passage 82 in housing section 4 and a passage 84 in housing section 6 connect inlet chamber 70 and discharge chamber 80. Passage 84 has a reduced portion 86 which is controlled by a rate control valve 88.

Disc 74 is biased upwardly by a compression coil spring 90 which has its lower end abutting against plate 92 and its upper end abutting against disc 74. Spring 90 encompasses valve portion 96 of disc 74 which is adapted to control the orifice formed by O-ring valve seat 98 which surrounds the opening to passage 100 in plate 92 which leads to chamber 102.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, an O-ring 104 forming a valve seat in the wall of chamber 162 is adapted to be engaged by a check valve 106. Check valve 106 is retained in a cavity 108 in ejector 110 having a liquid intake opening 112 and a liquid discharge opening 114. Restricted passage 116 of ejector 1 10 is connected by a passage 118 to cavity 108. Ejector 110 has a flanged portion 120 which is clamped between housing sections 4 and 8 and thus held against section 6.

An O-ring 122 forms a valve seat in the wall of chamber 102, the O-ring 122 being adapted to be engaged by a check valve 124 retained in a cavity 126 in member 128 which has a tubular portion 130 connected to cavity 126 by a passage 132. Member 128 has a flange portion 134 which is clamped between casing sections 4 and 8 in a position abutting against casing section 6.

Cavity 126 in member 128 is connected to the interior of cap 136 by tube 138. Cap 136 is secured to casing section 4 by being threadably engaged by member 140 which abuts against casing section 4 at 142, both cap 136 and threaded member 140 being secured in opening 144 in casing section 4. O-ring valve seat 148 mounted in threaded member 140 forms a seat for ball valve 150 which is biased downwardly by a coil spring 152. Disc 74 has a valve member 154 which is adapted to engage valve 150 to lift it off O-ring 148.

Referring back to chamber 102 it contains upstanding projections 158 which support a valve disc "160 made of, for example, a non-corrosive resin such as polytetrafiuoroethylene or polytrifluorochloroethylene and which is adapted on being moved upwardly by the flow of liquid to close passage 100.

Referring to FIGURE 4, passage 84 is connected to chamber 162 by a passage 164 in casing section 6. Chamber 162 is connected to vent chamber 40 by a passage 166. An O-ring 168 mounted in the upper end of passage 166 and held in position by a plurality of downwardly extending posts 170 forms a seat for valve 172 integrally connected to disc 36. Valve 172 has a tapered end 174 which, when it passes below O-n'ng 168, permits the passage of air through passage 166.

Operation In operation the flow of liquid, for example, water through ejector 110 produces a vacuum in passages 118,

3 102 and 100, chamber 80, passages 84 and 82, chamber 70, passage 68, tube 56, passage 62 and, finally, in gas supply chamber 32. Incident to the vacuum in chamber 32 the air pressure in vent chamber 40 causes the downward displacement of the diaphragm 33 separating chambers 32 and 40 as viewed in FIGURE 4 which, in turn, causes rod 44 to depress valve 22 against the force of spring 24 thus moving it from seat 18 and providing for the entry of the gas, for example, chlorine gas. The thus admitted gas will follow the path of the vacuum traced above and be drawn into a stream of water passing through ejector 110. The rate of flow of the gas will be indicated by the elevation of float 60 in tapered tube 56. The rate of flow of the gas is controlled by rate control valve 88, the spring 90 being of such strength with respect to the area of the diaphragm 71 and the pressure 'diflerence on opposite sides of the rate control valve 88 as to maintain a constant rate flow of gas by the proper'position of valve portion 96 with respect to O-ring valve seat 98.

In the event of a failure of the gas supply for any reason, the increased vacuum in gas supply chamber 32 results in diaphragm 33 being moved downward a further passage connecting said inlet chamber and said discharge distance which, in turn, would cause tapered portion 174 V of valve 172 to be lowered below O-ring valve seat 168 (as viewed in FIGURE 4). This reduces the vacuum by connecting the atmosphere to chamber 80 through passage 42, vent chamber 40, passages 166, 162, 164 and 84. This action prevents the drawing of water into the device incident to the creation of an excessively high vacuum due to an interruption of the gas supply. a

The check of any sudden surges of liquid intorthe device from ejector 110 is also prevented by check valve 106 seating against O-ring seat 104 so as to block the entry of water into passage 102. Should the action of check valve 106 be faulty for any reason the water will move valve disc 160 upwardly to block the passage of water through passage 100. Check valve 124 permits any water accumulated in passage 102 to be discharged through cavity 126, passage 132 and tube 130.

To prevent the entry of water into the device during a shutdown period, the equalizing of gas pressures in the inlet chamber 70 and outlet chamber 80 causes spring 90 to move diaphragm 71 upwardly with valve member 154 moving valve 150 off seat 148 where it normally rests. This action connects chamber 70 with the atmosphere through the interior of cap 136, tube 138, cavity 126, passage 132 and tube 130 and hence prevents back flooding.

The apparatus of this invention will be made from any suitable materials it being obvious to select non-corrosive materials when a corrosive gas is to be employed. The major components can be made from synthetic resins, such as polyvinyl chloride, phenolic or rubberbase styrene resins or non-corrosive metal as appropriate. Polytetrafluoroethylene and polytrifiuorochloroethylene resins are particularly suitable for diaphragm rings and valve seats.

It is not desired to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for introducing gas into a stream of liquid comprising differential pressure regulating means having an inlet chamber, a discharge chamber, diaphragm means separating said inlet chamber and discharge chamber, a restricted passage connecting said inlet chamber and said dischargechamber, means to produce a vacuum incident to, the flow of a liquid, a passage connecting said vacuum producing means to said discharge chamber, a valve controlling said second mentioned passage, means biasing said 1 valve open, said diaphragm means adapted to move said valve towards a closed position upon movement of the diaphragm responsive to an established pressure difier- -ential on the opposite sides of the diaphragm means,

means to admit a gas to said inlet chamber when it is under a vacuum and means connecting said difierential pressure regulating means to the atmosphere when the inlet chamchamber, a rate control valve controlling said passage, means to produce a vacuum incident to the flow of a liquid, a passage connecting said vacuum producing means to said discharge chamber, a valve controlling said second mentioned passage, means biasing open said valve controlling said second mentioned passage, said diaphragm adapted to move said valve controlling said second mentioned passage towards a closed position upon movement of the diaphragm responsive to an established pressure difierential on the opposite sides of the diaphragm means, means to admit a gas to said inlet chamber when it is under a vacuum and means connecting said difierential pressure regulating means'to the atmosphere when the inlet chamber and the discharge chamber of the pressure regulating means are under the same gas pressure.

3. Apparatus for introducing gas into a stream of liquid comprising differential pressure regulating means having an inlet chamber, a discharge chamber, diaphragm means separating said inlet chamber and discharge chamber, a passage connecting said inlet chamber and said discharge chamber and a rate control valve controlling said passage, means to produce a vacuum incident to the flow of a liquid, a passage connecting said vacuum producing means to said discharge chamber, a valve controlling said second mentioned passage, meansv biasing open said valve controlling said second mentioned passage, said diaphragm adapted to move said valve controlling said second mentioned passage towards a closed position upon movement of the diaphragm responsive to an established pressure differential on the opposite sides of the diaphragm means, gas supply means to admit a gas to said inlet chamber when it is under a vacuum, a vent passage connecting the inlet chamber to the atmosphere, a closed vent valve con trolling said vent passage and means operated by said diaphragm to open said vent valve when the gas pressure on the opposite sides of said diaphragm is substantially the same.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 characterized in that the gas supply means comprises a gas supply chamber and a vent chamber, a diaphragm separating said chambers, a passage connecting the vent chamber to the atmosphere, the supply chamber being connected to an inlet passage and a discharge passage, an inlet valve biased closed and controlling said inlet passage, means operated by said second mentioned diaphragm to open said inlet valve when the gas supply chamber is under a vacuum, said discharge passage being connected to the inlet chamber of the difierential pressure regulating means.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 characterized in that the vent chamber is connected to the difierential pressure regulating means by a vent passage, a closed valve controlling said last mentionedvent passage, and means operated by said second mentioned diaphragm to open said last mentioned valve when the vacuum in the gas supply chamber reaches a predetermined figure.

6. Apparatus for introducing gas into a stream of liquid comprising differential pressure regulating means having an inlet chamber, a discharge chamber, diaphragm means separating said inlet chamber and discharge chamber, a passage connecting said inlet chamber and said discharge chamber and a rate control valve controlling said passage, means to produce a vacuum incident to the flow of a liquid, a passage connecting said vacuum producing means to said discharge chamber, check valve means in said passage to prevent the flow of liquid from the vacuum producing means into said discharge chamber, a valve controlling said second mentioned passage, means biasing open said valve controlling said second mentioned passage,

5 6 said diaphragm adapted to move said valve controlling References Cited in the file of this patent said second mentioned passage towards a closed position UNITED STATES PATENTS upon movement of the diaphragm responsive to an established pressure differential on the opposite sides of the 1, 35,883 SPOhnn NOV. 14, 1922 diaphragm means, means to admit a gas to said inlet 5 2,150,460 Riches Mar. 14, 1939 chamber when it is under a vacuum and means connecting I 2,560,948 Hannibal et a1 y 1951 said difierential pressure regulating means to the atmos- 2,582,612 Williams Jan. 15, 1952 phere when the inlet chamber and the discharge oham- 2,587,375 Paulsen Feb. 26, 1952 her of the pressure regulating means are under the same 2,747,599 Watson May 29, 1956 gas pressure. 10 2,761,464 Faust Sept. 4, 1956 

